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Friday, 6 January 2012

Anyone who knows anything about me knows that I LOVE Illamasqua. I'm what is known in marketing jargon as a maven, and if I love something you will never hear the end of it. I will tell everyone I know, interested or not (needless to say the same applies if I hate something).

So, my latest love affair with a new Illamasqua product has begun. And people, this is love...deep, fulfilling, intense and all-consuming passion. You must, must, must go to your nearest Illamasqua store or counter as a matter of urgency so you too can fall into the pool of bliss that is...

Oh Freak! What words are sufficient to describe thee? You are all my darkest secrets and desires alchemised into a fragrance of such depth, texture and intensity as to render me giddy!

Ok, I'm no Shakespeare so I will not torture you any further with attempts at prose.

On its release, I admit scrambling to their flagship store like a teenage rock fan rushing to buy a new single, my heart beating a little faster as I approached the Freak display. The first hit of the fragrance after application was very unusual and heady and I honestly was not sure about it. So I applied it liberally and left, reasoning that I could analyse the development of the scent on my skin.

The next day I had forgotten about it (I know - unforgivable). Then I put on my scarf and was enveloped in an emotional mist of olfactory bliss. Memories came flooding back. I had flashbacks of the mountainous forests where I played as a child, of intense moments from my past, the sensation of glistening skin beneath my fingertips...I was confused, trying to figure out why my hair was standing on end (it was early - my brain doesn't function before noon). Of course it was the remnants of Freak perfume. I went out and bought it that day.

A fragrance of such quality and complexity can only be composed from the most exquisite essential oils. I did a little research for myself (and you) so I could glean some understanding of how the elements of this perfume could take me on such an emotional ride:

Top notes

Opium Flower oil is used as a carrier oil and has many beneficial medicinal properties. It is used in folk medicine as a treatment for tumours and is a natural analgesic (painkiller).

Black Davana is a herbal oil with a balsamic, rum-like odour, which together with Belladonna create a powerful emotional impression. Belladonna, also known as Deadly Nightshade, was used in Victorian times by Venetian women to dilate their pupils thus making them more attractive. It has a long history in magic and witchcraft both as a poison and a medicine.

Heart notes

Poison Hemlock has a soft, musky scent and also has a history in folk medicine as a cure for cancer.

Queen of the Night blossom, by far the most fascinating ingredient, only flowers once a year at night. It has a soft, sweet floral scent that is highly fragrant.

Datura has a regal, floral scent.

Base notes

Oud comes from Agarwood trees and has a deep, woody fragrance. It is an extremely rare oil and incredibly expensive.

Myrrh has a musty fragrance and blends beautifully with Frankincense, which is woodier in scent. Both oils have amazing medicinal properties and are hugely beneficial to the respiratory tract.

So, finally there is a beautifully crafted, high-end fragrance that is cruelty free! Freak is a sophisticated upgrade on my previous scent (1000 Kisses Deep by Lush). Inevitably, Illamasqua has done it again...blown my mind. First there was their lipstick in 'Disciple'. Then there was Skin Base foundation. Now we have Freak. Thank you Illamasqua - I cannot wait to see what's next. No pressure.

For your viewing pleasure, here is the amazing makeup for the Freak campaign, designed by the phenomenal Alex Box:

Wednesday, 4 January 2012

Just being able to type the numbers 2012 consecutively gives me a thrill! From the many conversations I have had with people about last year, the consensus seems to be that it was a shocker - traumatic, tumultuous and terrible! Personally I would describe it as the steepest learning curve of my life and although I do not regret it, I am happy to bid it farewell.

So to bring in my New Year I have rebuilt my website. It is still undergoing changes, but on the whole I am very pleased with it.

The primary image on my website is from a project I did last year with photographer David Shih. I dubbed it "The 1920's Borg Project". At the time I was more than slightly terrified at the task I had set myself - to create a 1920's half-human, half-cyborg that still looked beautiful.

My inspiration was the incomprable film 'Metropolis' as well as works by my favourite artist, H.R. Giger. I created a moodboard which helped immensely in consolidating my ideas and I finally managed to amalgamate the chaos in my mind into a sketch, both of which are included here.

1920's Borg Moodboard

Final conceptual sketch for Borg Woman

My materials were two ripped up laptops, a lot of pros-aide, malleable metal, waxes, glues, pins and - of course - my canvas, the very patient model Stacey Fenton.

Amazingly, I succeeded in fully realising my sketch and I was very happy and a bit surprised at how the final work materialised almost exactly as I had visualised it. The main difference was that the symmetry in the drawing was swapped around (it worked better on the model that way), but other than that one could say that the sketch literally came to life.

This piece turned out to be what I consider my first successful 'artwork', and has inspired me to be more fearless and unconventional in my approach to makeup from that point on. Subsequent to this project I have worked on many more, which you can see on my website.

So, without further ado, it is my great pleasure to present to you Mrs Metropolis-Giger...the beautiful cyborg!